Shades of water (cowt 9, week 7, M12 - Acquario)

Prompt: Acquario
Missione: M12
Parole: 2036

The only thing they have in common is how they are both involved with fish tanks. Souma refuses to accept the idea of him and Hakaze Kaoru sharing something not related to the Marine Bio club, because they are total opposites and that will never change.
Not that he likes the way Hakaze does club activities - the few times he shows up, at least - or the general approach to such an important club. If Buchou-dono is, in Souma’s eyes, the emblem of how someone should act when they dedicate themselves to a marine creature then Hakaze is how someone should never act: there isn’t a single trait of the third year he can think of as positive. He tried his best, he thinks, but nothing came to his mind, not even enough to make happy the club president he admires so much.
So of course Souma can’t believe it when he and Kaoru meet at an aquarium. It’s a day off, something precious that Souma usually spends in meaningful ways; in this case, he decided to have some quality time with his little brother and what a better chance than taking him to the aquarium with so many beautiful creatures to look at and to learn about?
Except for the fact that they just turned the corner and his little brother bumped into another person, and Souma was already apologising in his stead when he just froze. And now he and Hakaze are looking at each other, dumbfounded, a very embarrassed atmosphere between them because Souma would have already pointed his katana against Hakaze’s throat if it weren’t for his brother there and this - meaning: Hakaze being still alive - throws them both off guard.
The moment Hakaze smiles in that easy-going-much-annoying way of his, Souma knows this is going to require all his self control.
«Ah, what a surprise to see you here and without your katana, Souma-kyun.»
Can he just drown him somewhere? Maybe the coffee shop at the first floor, where you can eat something while watching at the colorful fishes, can lend him a knife.
Souma takes a quick look at his brother: Souta is a good, polite kid. He is a fan of Akatsuki and more or less it happened to see some recorded lives together, even Undead’s where Adonis-dono was for obvious reasons. He supposes that Souta’s surprised look and shining eyes are basically because he suddenly has someone he only saw on TV in front of him. His brother probably sees Hakaze as some sort of celebrity, a feeling he never gets with Souma since they are siblings.
Keep calm, he tries to repeat to himself, be a big brother worth of this name.
«...Hakaze-dono.» he greets him, but he’s not very good at pretending to tolerate people he doesn’t respect much. Or at all. Hakaze’s gaze seems to study him for a brief moment before he chuckles.
«I see, is he your brother?» he guesses immediately, of course. That is very annoying too.
«He is.» Souma replies, not even looking at him but at Souta as he puts a hand on his brother’s shoulder to encourage him; the younger one immediately gets it and bows his head while introducing himself: «I am Kanzaki Souta. Nice to meet you...»
«Nice to meet you too, Souta-kun. I’m Hakaze Kaoru, your big brother’s senpai.»

The coffee shop at the first floor is quite famous, with this very large tank full of colorful and beautiful fishes; most of the tables are set close to it, in order for guests to enjoy some snacks and delicious coffee as they take a break from their visit to the aquarium. It gives the impression of being underwater, something that their club president would love for sure.
Souta is in the toilet, where he went alone, reassuring both of them that he could make it by himself, which left Souma and Hakaze there, sharing the table and checking the menu only because the silence would be too uncomfortable otherwise, as much as any attempt to have a conversation they almost never had before. Souma feels nervous: he’s so used to threaten him that, frankly speaking, not only he doesn’t know how to approach him in such a situation but, to him, it doesn’t make sense to have Hakaze sitting in front of him.
«Don’t you have a date with some girl?» Souma asks, glancing at him over the menu. Hakaze does the same and looks back at him before planting a smile on his lips like that is a silly question he expected to hear, sooner or later. Souma really can’t read this man - if Keito were in his head and could listen to his thoughts, maybe he would highlight the fact that Souma can’t read most of the normal reactions boys of his age usually have.
«I don’t.» it’s his simple reply «So, is Souta-kun our fan?»
«He watched one or two of your lives with me.»
«Oh, did you recorded them, Souma-kyun? Are you Undead’s fan too?»
«Please don’t speak such nonsense. I, as a member of Akatsuki, will never support any unit more than my own. In fact, it’s the only one I intend to support.» he makes himself clear, quite proud of his faithfulness. Surprisingly, Hakaze lets a genuine laugh fill the silence after that sentence.
«We all know how loyal you are.» he says it like it’s obvious and maybe it is, but… «And yet, you watched something I was in just for your brother’s sake? That’s so Souma-like.»
It’s annoying how such a man speaks like he knows everything about him. At the same time, though, Souma feels somehow embarrassed by his words, especially since they sound like a compliment and he surely doesn’t want to be complimented by Hakaze.
«It’s the duty of a good older brother to grant the younger’s wishes as much as he can.» he replies, a small cough he is sure that helps a lot to dissimulate - again, if Keito were there, maybe he would tell him that he’s not good at concealing emotions at all.
Hakaze doesn’t add anything. When Souma lifts his gaze from the list of sweets the coffee shop offers, Hakaze is still deciding; he takes advantage of it and relaxes his shoulders a bit, lets the gaze wander on his left where the fish tank is. The fishes inside look so calm, as much as the water, and so happy with all those colours and different shapes. It’s a pity that there is no turtle - he knows they are in another area, he checked on the map the woman at the ticket office gave him - but maybe it’s better like this since Hakaze is there. Souma could never survive to the shame of being moved by turtles in front of Souta and him.
«Kanata-kun would love this place.» Hakaze says, his eyes on the fishes as well. Souma frowns for a moment, but then he supposes Buchou is one of the few topics they can share peacefully. At least, until Souta comes back, and it shouldn’t take long at this point.
«He would. Buchou-dono deeply and sincerely loves the ocean and all its creatures, so it wouldn’t be a surprise. That is why he takes the Marine Bio club’s activities so seriously.» he replies, so proud of Kanata as if it was about himself and not another person. After all he is doing his best to not add something about how not serious Hakaze is.
«It’s surprising.»
«...What is?»
«To hear Souma-kun talk about “love” it’s quite the thing.»
He has no time to reply, since Souta comes back at the table and asks Souma to help him with the important task of deciding what sweet to eat. Yet, Souma feels his stomach sink like the heaviest rock thrown inside the water.

If someone had asked him about the chance of enjoying a whole afternoon at the aquarium with Hakaze Kaoru, Souma would have laughed at their face first and then committed seppuku just in case. Yet Hakaze is not so bad with kids and Souta, for reasons that Souma can’t comprehend (he doesn’t want to) and with great disappointment, adores the member of Undead. They keep going around to look at the fish tanks, from those with simple and small fishes to those with tropical and dangerous ones; they stop for a really long time where the penguins are - Souma has to admit that they are very cute indeed - and a very long time in front of the large glass pane to observe the turtles.
For the whole time, Kaoru - Hakaze, he corrects himself in his mind, the disgrace of their club - never complains and, instead, seems to enjoy their company and is kind to Souta. At some point he even picked him up so that he could see better over the heads of the crowd in front of the tank with the sharks.
Souma doesn’t get why he does all this, especially since he could avoid it as he does with activities - if he had told Souta that he had a previous appointment since the beginning, Souma is absolutely sure his brother would have not complained at all, being the good kid he is.
«Souta-kun, how about you choose a keychain or something you like as a memory of your first visit to the aquarium? We can buy it together.» he suggests with a wink. Souma mentally decides that he will pay for his younger brother’s part, no arguments about this. Hakaze already insisted to pay for their coffee and sweets, he doesn’t want to be even more indebted to him.
As Souta goes inside the small souvenir shop, right before the exit of the aquarium, Hakaze’s voice reaches him.
«You have been quiet for a while, now. It’s kind of worrying, since Souma-kun usually threatens me all the time.» he admits with a small chuckle. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed, more than what Souma could have ever imagined.
«Souta had a great time.» he decides to say, careful about every word «For that, I am grateful. I would be unexcusable if I weren’t honest in offering you my thanks.»
«Did you not have a great time?»
«What?»
«You said “Souta had a great time”. Was it so unbearable for you, I wonder?»
Souma is speechless, his eyes on Kaoru. This is a situation he doesn’t know how to handle. Part of him doesn’t want to admit that the time they spent together was pleasant, but the other part can’t even consider the option of lying, no matter how the conversation isn’t turning to his favor.
«It was not. I will admit that, considering who you are and how you usually behave, it was a positive change of pace.» he admits, in the end - his stomach has something wrong again, but he has to ignore it for now.
«Thus, I think my opinion of you has slightly improved, Hakaze-dono.»
Kaoru - Hakaze, he corrects himself again for a moment, but then he decides that this is okay for once - clearly didn’t expect that answer from him, judging by the astonished expression he has. That will be his little revenge, Souma decides.
«Nii-sama!» Souta calls for him, and immediately gets Souma’s attention. He is waving at both of them. When they get closer to the souvenir shop door and enter, they can see he has a keychain in his hand. Hakaze is faster than him and takes it, reaching the register in an instant.
Souma is still busy with cursing him (only in his head, of course) when the older one comes back, giving them small packages: one for Hakaze himself, one for Souta, but one for Souma too. When he looks at it, confused, and while Souta is busy with unwrapping his, Hakaze gives him a wink.
«Just a small gift for you, Souma-kyun.» he jokes - or maybe not? This man really is too far from his comprehension.
He wonders, as he feels his face getting warmer, what’s the problem with his stomach today. Was it the coffee?
«You really are a disgrace!»